"Protocols for Native American Archival Materials": Information and Resources Page

Overview, History, and Guidelines

This page provides an overview of where to find information about the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials (PNAAM) publication, as well as reports about what has occurred within SAA via the Task Force to Review the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials (2008) and the Native American Protocols Forum Task Force (2009-2011).

Protocols for Native American Archival Materials publication (hosted by Northern Arizona University)

School for Advanced Research Guidelines for Collaboration

Protocols 101: How to Start the Conversation at Your Institution, NAAS Panel at the 2020 SAA Annual Meeting

Final Report: SAA Task Force to Review Protocols for Native American Archival Materials (2008)

Final Report: SAA Native American Protocols Forum Working Group (2012)

This report provides a general overview of the impetus and history of the Native American Procotols Forums held 2009-2011, as well as proposed next steps. The document also provides an appendix with full minutes from the August 26, 2011, meeting. Previous reports can be found here (2009, 2010). 

Research Projects Referencing PNAAM

NOTE: This list is NOT comprehensive and is meant to provide information on some of the general resources available.

Bertram, Cara S. “Avenues of Mutual Respect: Opening Communication and Understanding Between Native Americans and Archivists.” Master’s thesis, Western Washington University, 2012.

Bolcer, John. "The Protocols for Native American Archival Materials: Considerations and Concerns from the Perspective of a Non-Tribal Archivist." Easy Access 34, no. 4 (January 2009): 3-6.

Byrne, Alex. “Digitising and Handling Indigenous Cultural Resources in Libraries, Archives and Museums.” Presentation at the Communities and Memories: A Global Perspective: Memory of the World Conference, Canberra, 2008.

Callison, Camille, Jonathan Pringle, and Alissa Cherry. “Canadian Perspectives and Recommendations for Indigenous Archives” for Archives Summit: Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. Presentation at ATALM International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums, Washington D.C., 2015.

Christen, Kimberly. "Opening Archives: Respectful Repatriation." American Archivist 74, no. 1 (Spring-Summer 2011): 185-210.

Christen, Kimberly. “Tribal Archives, Traditional Knowledge, and Local Contexts: Why the “s” Matters.” Journal of Western Archives 6, no. 1 (2015).

Jimerson, Rand. Archives Power: Memory, Accountability, and Social Justice. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2009.

Joffrion, Elizabeth and Natalia Fernández. “Collaboration between Tribal and Non-Tribal Organizations: Sharing Expertise, Knowledge, and Cultural Resources” for Archives Summit: Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. Presentation at ATALM International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums, Washington D.C., 2015.

Joffrion, Elizabeth and Natalia Fernández. “Collaborations between Tribal and Nontribal Organizations: Suggested Best Practices for Sharing Expertise, Cultural Resources, and Knowledge.” The American Archivist 78, no. 1 (2015): 192-237.

Mathiesen, Kay. "A Defense of Native Americans' Rights Over Their Traditional Cultural Expressions." American Archivist 75, no. 2 (Fall-Winter 2012): 456-481.

O'Neal, Jennifer. "Archival Creative Friction: Indigenous Peoples' Existence and Resistence in the Archival Multiverse." Presentation at the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association Conference, Mohegan, 2012.

O'Neal, Jennifer. "Archival Advocacy, Inside Out: The Protocols for Native American Archival Materials." Presentation at the Association for Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums Conference, Tulsa, 2012.

O'Neal, Jennifer. "The Protocols for Native American Archival Material." Presentation at the Arizona Archives Alliance Symposium, Flagstaff, 2012.

O'Neal, Jennifer R. "Respect, Recognition, and Reciprocity: The Protocols for Native American Archival Materials." In Identity Palimpsests: Archiving Ethnicity in the U.S. and Canada, edited by Daniel Dominique and Amalia Levi. Sacramento: Litwin Books, 2014.

O'Neal, Jennifer R. “’The Right to Know’: Decolonizing Native American Archives.” Journal of Western Archives 6, no. 1 (2015): 1-17.

O'Neal, Jennifer R. and Karen Underhill. “Introduction to Protocols for Native American Materials” for Archives Summit: Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. Presentation at ATALM International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums, Washington D.C., 2015.

Roy, L., Bhasin, A., and S. K. Arriaga. Tribal Libraries, Archives, and Museums: Preserving Our Language, Memory, and Lifeways. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2011.​

Senier, Siobhan. “Digitizing Indigenous History: Trends and Challenges.” Journal of Victorian Culture 19, no. 3 (2014): 396-402.

St-Onge, Karine. "Digital Ethics and Reconciliation." Digital Ethics Report, University of Victoria Libraries, 2019.

Underhill, Karen. "Protocols for Native American Archival Material." RBM Journal 7 (Fall 2006): 134-145.

Winn, Samantha R. “Ethics of Access in Displaced Archives.” Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists 33, no. 1 (2015): 6-13.

Case Studies

Ceja, Janet. “Incorporating the Protocols into the Archival Curriculum” for Archives Summit: Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. Presentation at ATALM International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums, Washington D.C., 2015.

Reyes-Escudero, Verónica and J. Wendel Cox. “Survey, Understanding, and Ethical Stewardship of Indigenous Collections: A Case Study.” Collection Management 42, no. 3-4 (2017): 130-138.

Ryan, Ellen M. "Identifying Culturally Sensitive American Indian Material in a Nontribal Institution." SAA Case Studies in Archival Ethics 3 (2014).

Stoker, Storm. “Report on The Society of American Archivists Task Force to Review the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials.” Presentation at the Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting and Conference, Cleveland, 2015.